Step 1

Step 2

CTRL + J, duplicate the image. Now you will have a layer which labeled as â€œlayer 1â€. SHIFT + CTRL + U, desaturate the image and you will get something like this:

Step 3

CTRL + J again to duplicate layer 1 and you will get a new layer which labeled as â€œlayer 1 copyâ€. CTRL + I to invert the layer and set the layer blend mode to Color Dodge. Go to filter > other > minimum > 1. Double click on layer 1 copy to bring out the blending option. ALT + left click on the triangle and set the underlying layer as below:

Step 4

CTRL + E to merge up both layers. CTRL + J, duplicate layer 1. Select layer 1 copy and go to filter > blur > Gaussian Blur > radius 6. Set the layer blend mode to linear burn. CTRL + J on layer background and put the layer background copy at the top of all layer and set the layer blend mode to color.

Step 5

Hope you are still with me. Select layer background copy and add a layer mask, fill it with black color.

Step 6

Still with the layer background copy, go to image > adjustment > curve and set as below.

Step 7

Create a new layer and put it top of all layer. Fill it with #ffecd1. Set layer blend option to linear burn.

Step 8

We are nearly there, now select layer 1 and set the opacity to 60% or whatever you think suitable. Select the background copy layerâ€™s mask, with a 45px soft brush, opacity 65%, brush the face area. Here is it!

Duuuuuuuudddeeeeee…….. awesome tutorial and after I worked it out well easy to follow hahahaha….

but O M to the freaking G what a pain in the ass to work out!!!

So anyway here are a few things that I struggled with and saw the same in the comments so…

First forget following the names of layers because this dude was talking about “go to layer 1” and mine was like “layer 1 copy 2” in the end I just renamed all my layers to match the tutorial in the end you should only have five!

The dude that ended up with just a nice sepia image… this happen to me first time round… I had missed the INVERT instruction in step three because I ovs can’t read properly… probably because I was still looking for the layer call layer 1 copy lol!

If you are using CS 6 and can’t add the layer mask – select the layer – go to Layer in the top menu – Go to Layer mask and select Revel All

If you can’t fill the layer mask with black – make sure there is a little white box around the Layer Mask thumbnail that is next to the thumbnail of the Layer in the Layer menu – phew and breath – then just go to Edit in the top menu and Fill!

If you can’t brush on the Layer Mask – Select the brush – Make sure the Layer Mask is selected (see above for over use of the word layer) and then make sure you have change the colour you are using to paint with is WHITE!!

Talking about NI-Limits, we noticed that you are a fellow Malaysian… Where are you based and what do you do for your day job…? We are hiring graphic designers and web developers at the moment, so am not sure what your plans are for the future, but we would love to have a chat with you

I cant brush on layer mask can anyone explain to me a little bit? hehe! Then you will use the paint bucket tool and paint the layer with color #ffecd1. Then in the layer panel, above the list of layer you will see the word “normal”. Click “normal” and a drop down will appear and you will select linear burn.

Kailoon: Talking about NI-Limits, we noticed that you are a fellow Malaysian… Where are you based and what do you do for your day job…? We are hiring graphic designers and web developers at the moment, so am not sure what your plans are for the future, but we would love to have a chat with you

Okay, I’ve tried this method step by step, word for word about 6 times. It doesn’t work on my darker photos, it doesn’t work on my lighter photos. Can you give us the REAL instructions for this, please? This is frustrating.

Kay, I feel your pain. I had the EXACT same comments and they went unanswered on here. I haven’t played with this in months, but I did make a bit of progress. I’m actually keen to look at it again and trade notes with you. I really liked the effect, so I tried. Are you interested in figuring it out with me? If so, I will sit at some point and will try to work through it again. :)

This is the name of the colour. When you are in Photoshop, on the toolbar generally on the left, the one where the brushes are, at the bottom you’ll find two squares of colour. You can choose one of these colours to paint (you can switch by using the letter x). Double click on this little square of colour and the window of colours will pop up. Under RGB, quite in the middle of the window at the very bottom, you’ll see a # and at its right a serial of numbers and or letters, this is an international code for colours. Every colour has its own code. Enter the Kailoon’s code and you’ll get this tender pink he used. For instance if you enter fffff you’ll get a pure white. And good luck and wish you a great job!

And yes that is recordable but you must add a stop on your script (by adding a little grey window on the left of the actions window) to adjust -depending on your original photo- the black and white and the minimum. Well, I stop every action I use if it has hue, contrast, levels etc… Because the exposition is never the same. I recommand using the special black and white on CS5 instead of only desaturate, you can adjust exactly your effect to the wonderful job Kailoon did. Good luck now!

Hi there – thanks very much for posting. I’ve been trying to get this to work for a bit and am almost there. I’ve read through this whole blog but can’t find my answer – hoping you can help, please.

It looks to be just me and my tool settings because others have written that they’ve done this with no problem, but I’m stuck after Step 7. The only way I can get my image to show after adding that color layer is to set the opacity of that color layer to 60% – not Layer 1. Doing that to Layer 1 seems to do nothing.

Then, I select the background layer to do that last step, but keep getting an error -Could not use the history brush because the last history state does not contain a corresponding layer-.

You need to add a new layer and make sure that it is on top of the other layers. Then you will use the paint bucket tool and paint the layer with color #ffecd1. Then in the layer panel, above the list of layer you will see the word “normal”. Click “normal” and a drop down will appear and you will select linear burn.

Feb 18, 2011

kids

another things is…how come and the end when i finish everything how come my art work does not look like painting but looks more like pencil drawing and color…

I love the end effect…however, I am STUCk at the background copy layer with the layer mask…..the image will not show through as on your tutorial and when I get to the end of the tutorial to use the black layer mask, it will not allow me to do anything!

A watermark that I inserted last year is appearing when I copy my pictures to photoshop. What do I need to do to stop it from showing in my new pictures.The pictures are in a folder in my hard drive. When I use automate command to load it into photoshop, it displays my old watermark.

Great tutorial. Thanks a lot. 2 things: First it would be great if in this on line tutorials we could know “why” we perform some actions like the parameters to filters. Usually we do it and don’t know how to adjust them to future different images which are not suitable for the same parameters. Second, I also had difficults with the 8th step. I selected the mask and when I brushed it nothing happened :( but I liked the result of my pic anyway. Should try again. Thanks a lot and if SOMEONE could me send a link with explanation about photoshop filters (about the parameters) I would be very thankful!!!!

I filled in the color black in step 5 but i don’t get a black/white image like u. Also for step 7, I am not sure how to fill the color in step. I am using photoshop 7, is that why? The rest works great and even without achieving steps 5 & 7, the effect turned out great.

Ok i got problem! On step 3 I’ve made the ALT + left click on the triangle, but I don’t know how to change the set the underlying layer to 10 / 70 255. Heeeeeelp pls, i really wat to learn this effect is so cool. Thanks

Rainbow:
Hi, you need to press the ALT key and left click on the triangle.

Lee :
Index? Actually, the layer 1 copy is just a duplicated layer and name. If you are using a starting image name as “photo”, then the 1st duplicated layer will be “photo copy” and if you duplicate again it will became “photo copy 2” for the new layer.

I love this effect! Actually I’m trying out your tutorial right now. But I have no idea how I can separate the little arrow at step 3 (left click on the triangle and set the underlying layer as below:) Could someone explaint how that works? :$

As pretty as this technique is, im going to have to critisise your tutorial. for a macintosh user, its easy to get lost and i never even understood step 3 with that underlying layer whatever. this tutorial for the most part easy, by not user-friendly at all. so much effort for a small watercolor effect.

hi, kai loon,
im having a problem again. i can do the water color effect already but yesterday somehow maybe i click some wrong button o i duno wat…i cant do the last part. brushing the face. atually i did it b4 but i duno y now cant ady? help me…..
tq.
cheers,
kevinc

Hi kevinc, as long as you can get the layer mask into black color. After that, using the brush setting in step 8, with ,white color. Brush the face area. And you can see the different. make sure your are selecting the layer mask.

hello,
i have problem doing the last part…can i fill the layer mask using the edit>fill??
and oso the last step where the black mask have become like the film negative(cause have black and a white figure) at ur example…i cant get it? all was black!!!
help me

Congrats! Really happy to see you keep trying and trying. This is the passion and patient we need in learning progress. Never give up! Hehehe…You can try other than this too. Simply click the photoshop or illustrator tab at the top of this page and find the other tutorials from this site. :)

If u can do no.5 then no 7 will be no prob. same. sure is is depend on the picture, but for me, it is depend on me:P Actually, you can try to tune those setting high ans low to get your desired effects. Hmm..the color…maybe because I like this color:) you can try different color too. But for me, this give me the best result :)

Thanks for your comments, hope this will help :) Feel free to visit my other tutorial in this site.

Kailoon: Talking about NI-Limits, we noticed that you are a fellow Malaysian… Where are you based and what do you do for your day job…? We are hiring graphic designers and web developers at the moment, so am not sure what your plans are for the future, but we would love to have a chat with you…

We are based in Kuala Lumpur, so please feel free to email us and get in touch that way…

@>Mike: In this part, you need to select the layer name background copy, then add layer mask which you can find it under the layers palette. The vector mask will be selected automatically. Now, use the paint bucket tool (G) and select black color as foreground color, left click on anywhere on the image.

*Let me know if there is any question. I will try my best to help and this also can help me write my tutorial in better way. :P